Improvement in corn-planters



UNITED STATES Yi l". rilltAlGlIT, OF

IMPROVEMENT IN PATENT OFFICE.

llAltBUltY, ILLINO CORN-PLAN'I'ERS.

rlpeeiiluiiell thrilling part of Letifj's Patent. Nu. 30,008, dated September 1l. 1F60.

[Il if whom Iit muy concern le it lino'wn that l, LEVI l". STRAIGHT, ol hail-nur),- in the county of Livingston and ytate oJ Illinois, have invented certain new :ind usi-.ful Improvements in Seeddlanters; .lud I do hereby` declare the tbllowingio be a tnll, clear, and exact description of the saule, reicleneebeing Iladto theaceolnpanyingdrawings, nlalriug part ot' this specification. 4

lhe nature ot'my said illvelltioll consists, ti`rst, in a peculiar combination ot' levers for operating Ille seeding-slides; and, seeond,in devices for adapting thel maelline to plant in hills or dri Ils` as hereinafter explained.

lll the accompanying draw-ings, Figure l is a top view of a machine embodying nl v ilnprovements with one seed-box exposed. Fig. 2 is a frontviewof the same. Fig. 3 is asection at .r, looking` toward the front. Fig. eL--is an enlarged vcrti cal section of one seeding-box at 1/ y, looking toward the rear. Fig; 5 isa detached perspective view ot' a pair of the seeding-slides and accessory valve-lever A is the nlaill frame of the implement, supported on wheels B, set obliquely in pairs, one

. pair `being made to follow each seeding-tube,

as will bc hereinafter explained. The oblique axles upon which the wheels l run may be either constructed in bent form, one to each' pair of wheels, or may be separate alld fixed to the framev by flanges and bolts. as inl the present illustration.

C are the plwvs or't'lrill-teetll for opening the ground to receive the seed; D, the collducting-tubes, fixed immediately in the rear of the plows G, and provided with valves E, which, being `confined by pins c, tend to spring open, but are, excepting at the instautof depositing seed, held in a closed position through the medium ot' bent and forked levers F, pivoted at j', and extending inwardly beneath the valves, and outwardly in separate arms j" beneath each of the slides H H', hereinafter dcscribed, sothat thc depression of either of the slides by bearing upon `olle of the arms j" will close the valve.

'G are the seed-hoppers. v IIH are the seeding-slides, one pair of wllicll work within a casing attached to the exterior of' each tube.

g represents a customary guard to prevent the overflow or irregular discharge of the grain. 'Illeslides H Il are operated b vnleans of the following mechanism:

I l are a. pair ot' levers extending: from side to side of the machine, and working upon a fixed center ati,

K is the handle ot' a -T-shapeu.glever, the armsK K" of which are of unequal length. The said lever works upon a fixed fulcrunl at k. The outer end of the shorterarnl, K", is connected with the lever I, near the center 1T, by means ot' a pill and slot, and that of the` lougerarnl, K', to the leverl, at a distance from tlle celltel,b vsimilarllleans, the lengths of the arms being ot the same relative proportion as thedistances from the center z' of their respective points of connection with the levers I I.

Il is an operators seat extending from side to si dcot' thc machine, covering the seed-boxes. M is a drivel-s seat to the rear of the axles. N is a tongue by which the machine is drawn forward. The said tongue is attachedvby aV horizontal bolt, u, at the front of the machine, and at its rear endby a vertical screwbolt, o,

aud set-nut j), so. as to allow the tongue vertical pla-y within any desired limit. By this means the plows may be made to enter the ground or raised. above it, accordingly as the driver is seated upon the seat L orM.

Q is an indicator to enable the operator to tell with accuracy when the seeding-tubes have arrived at the proper lille to plant.

R represents a foot-board.

The operation is as follows: The driver seats himself upon the seatL, grasping the handle J with one hand and holding it iirnlly at one end of its stroke, b v which lneans one seedingslide of each pair is held at its highest and the other at its lowest point, the latter being nlade to press upon an arm, j', of the bent lever F, alld thereby hold the valve E in a closed position, so as to prevent the escape of lthe grain contained ill the tube. Upon arriving upon the right spot, as showll by the indicator, the operator then suddenly throwsthe handle .T to the other extremity of its stroke, thereby rcversin g the positions of the levers, and elevating the slide which was previously depressed,

and vice versa. rlhe cup Il! at top of the depressed slide is immediately iilled with grain tlowing from the hopper G beneath the lower edge ofthe guard g, while that at top ot' elevated slide deposits its charge of grain in the .tube G'. r The same movement causes also an instantaneous opening and closing again of the valve E, so as to-deposit aeharge of seed v i n theground and arrest-the succeeding eh arge,

which is thrown into the tube by theelevationof the slide H or H. The oblique wheels B, following, eectually cover the seed, compactthel earth about it, and leave theground in the most l'Favorable 'ormfor the growth of the yonn plant.

In order to plant in drills, thevalves E, are drawn out of the tubes by their upper end, en enabling the grain to fall immediatelythrough the tube instead of being compacted together, asin the former case, and, in addition to this the forked wire F, extedingaeross the tube,

tendsstill more to scatterthe grain and cause it to lieuniformly along the drill.

To take the machinefrom the field or remove it from placeto place without seeding, the opcrater changes his position to the rear seat, M, thereby elevating the plows from the ground.

To enable the operator to regnlatethe quantity of seed deposited at each movement, the slides H H' are constructed in hollow form with internal slides, h, the adjustment of which -up or down regulates the capacity of the cup h to. any extent desired.

The' back part of the slide ismade hollow, as represented, to lpermit'. grain oro'ther matter which may fall between the slide and the tube and .would otherwise interfere with' the motion of the former to escape freely at bottom.

The following is what I claim as new and of my invention herein:

1. The combination and arrangement o1 ielvers 'I I' and K K, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purposesv set forth. 2. The combination of the removable valve E, forked lever F, and slides H Hyarranged and`operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

` 3. Thecombination of' the internal 'adjustaf ble slide, h, with the vertical hollow-backed seeding-slide H orH, constructed, arranged 'and operating, in connection with the conducting-tube D, n the manner and for the `pur poses set forth. l

In. testimony ot' which invention Ifhereuntc Vset my hand.

LEVI F. STRAIGHT..

Witnesses: A. J. CRoPsv,

JACOB HUNT. 

